But there is a chance Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn is going to have the locks changed soon.

Dan Hawkins' record at CU has now dipped to 19-37 after the Buffs' deflating 27-24 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday at Folsom Field.

"Tough to come up one play short," Hawkins said in a familiar post-game refrain. "We're just going to keep hanging in there."

The Buffs hung in there for most of the game with Cody Hawkins at quarterback. Yet again.

This time Tyler Hansen was replaced for good a reason -- he couldn't breath. The junior suffered a painful rib injury in the second quarter and did not return.

To his credit, Cody Hawkins was as prepared as you would expect a fifth-year senior to be. He calmly guided CU on an 18-play drive that led to a field goal and a 10-7 lead. After watching Paul Richardson explode off the post-practice video screen throughout the fall, old No. 7 wisely targeted the true freshman down the field.

Suddenly, the Buffs actually had a vertical passing game as Richardson caught two touchdown passes in the third quarter, including a 60-yard strike, to stake the home team to a 24-14 lead.

And then what happened?

"They got in our huddle and told us to screw ourselves," Cody Hawkins said when asked about the adjustments Texas Tech's defense made in the fourth quarter.

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The point he was trying to make is the Buffs started beating themselves. There was Aric Goodman's crucial missed field goal, a 29-yard punt, and a miscommunication between Hawkins and Richardson on a key third down.

The paying customers are tired of the special teams gaffes and don't want to hear about all of the promising young players that were out on the field making big plays and costly mistakes.

"I'm a college student, so I don't have enough money to buy a newspaper," Cody Hawkins said. "Which is probably a good thing."

Nice try, kid. Unfortunately for the Buffs, there is no way the speculation about Dan Hawkins' job can't seep into the locker room. The embattled head coach's son is a team captain and obviously still very much a part of the offense.

"There are a lot of people out there talking and a lot of people who say different stuff," Cody Hawkins said. "But the same bad things you say about our football team, I'm saying the same bad things about you guys (the media). So I guess it works both ways."

As Cody Hawkins was making the sticks and stones comment to reporters, his mom was standing outside the door watching and listening to the press conference. The situation is personal and awkward.

"You obviously don't like it when someone near and dear to you gets criticized," Cody Hawkins continued "But the bottom line is it's college football and you've got to win football games."

Cody Hawkins -- the program's all-time leader in touchdown passes and interceptions -- became only the third player in CU history to throw for 6,000 yards in a career. He joins Joel Klatt (7,375) and Kordell Stewart (6,481) on the list after completing 22 of 43 passes for 274 yards and the two touchdowns to Richardson.

"They quit running the ball when their first quarterback went out," Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville noticed.

Hawkins and Co. return to work today preparing for Oklahoma. The victory over the Sooners at Folsom Field in 2007 was probably the best Saturday the program has had in the past five seasons.

Perhaps if the Buffs "clean a few things up" in practice they can pull off another upset and give the naysayers a big stiff-arm.

"As a captain and as a leader on this football team, when everybody is trying to drink that negative Kool-aid, you just have to make sure they stay hydrated with the right stuff," Cody Hawkins said.

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